1970 Karmann Ghia Cvt, W/less Than 500 Miles On New Engine. Needs Some Body Work on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen bringing production GTI Clubsport to Frankfurt

"No plans for the car to be sold here." It's probably good I read that part of the email from Volkswagen before I looked at the photos and read the release for the car you see above. It's the production-spec GTI Clubsport. It's coming to the Frankfurt Motor Show. It's awesome. And I want one. I know, I'm kind of a GTI fanboy, but really, there's a lot to like here. The special-edition hot hatch is essentially a road-going version of the concept Volkswagen brought to Worthersee this year, complete with a more powerful engine. It produces 261 horsepower – a healthy increase over the 210 hp of the base GTI (or 220 if the car is fitted with the performance pack) – and can even crank out 286 hp for short bursts, thanks to an overboost function. Hitting 62 miles per hour takes six seconds flat with the six-speed manual gearbox, and that time is reduced to 5.9 seconds should you opt for the six-speed dual-clutch automatic. Even with these upgrades, VW says the GTI Clubsport will still return nearly 34 miles per gallon with the manual transmission. Volkswagen doesn't specifically mention any chassis upgrades, however. In its press release, VW simply says that the GTI Clubsport "has groundbreaking handling properties at high speeds and breathtaking cornering speeds." Cool. I'm sure it'll be a riot. A lot of the exterior is new: the front bumper, side sills, rear diffuser, roof spoiler, and aluminum wheels are all unique to the Clubsport. Buyers can choose between 18- or 19-inch rollers, the tailpipes are larger than those on a standard GTI, and the LED lights out back have a black/red, dark finish. Inside, the Clubsport comes with racing buckets covered in tartan fabric (of course) and there's Alcantara everywhere. Fellow GTI fans, get excited about this one – even if it's just another delicious piece of forbidden fruit. Still, I can't wait to see it live in Frankfurt next week. Related Video: VOLKSWAGEN TO UNVEIL MORE POWERFUL GTI CLUBSPORT AT THE FRANKFURT INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW New anniversary model celebrates the GTI's 40th birthday - 265 PS special edition accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 5.9 seconds - An overboost function increases power to more than 290 PS for a short time - Expressive exterior design features new front bumper, side skirts, rear diffusor and multi-part roof spoiler Wolfsburg, September 9, 2015 – At the beginning of 2016, the iconic sporty compact—the Golf GTI— celebrates its 40th birthday.

VW Chattanooga plant very close to UAW representation

After months of fighting from both sides, it looks like the Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, TN, might unionize under the United Auto Workers after all. According to a letter acquired by The Associated Press, VW and the UAW reportedly struck a deal last spring where the union agreed to stop its challenge of the organization vote with the National Labor Relations Board to help clear the way for the CrossBlue to be produced in Tennessee. In exchange, the automaker would recognize the UAW at the plant. Leaders of the Local 42 at the facility reportedly signed the letter.
It seems that such an agreement would clear the way for the factory to unionize after months of dispute. According to The Detroit News, under Tennessee law, workers aren't required to join the organization. Although, that might not be a problem. As of a few months ago, Local 42 already claimed to have signed around 700 of the plant's roughly 1,500 workers.
Controversy has constantly swirled around the possible unionization at the Chattanooga plant. The UAW held its official decision in February and lost 712 to 626. However, there were allegations of intense political pressure to make sure the ballot failed. A later report also found that VW was offered $300 million in incentives well before the vote to make sure things progressed to the "satisfaction of the State of Tennessee," but the deal was later retracted. In July, the UAW opened Local 42 on the campus in hopes of signing up a majority of the workforce by volunteering to be a part of it.

VW considering single, cheaper li-ion cell for all plug-in vehicle batteries

Volkswagen is finding rapid success in the battery electric vehicle market; especially in Europe where the e-Golf is already the segment sales leader. Recent concepts like the C Coupe GTE, Sport Coupe GTE and Cross Coupe GTE suggest more plug-in hybrids from the company are on the way, too. To make future models more economical, the German automotive giant is considering switching to a standard design for its lithium-ion battery cells. Using standardized parts is a long-accepted principle in production because it leads to economies of scale, and a company can pass on the savings to buyers or pocket the money to boost profits. VW is aiming for a massive 66-percent drop in costs by switching to a unified design, according to Heinz-Jakob Neusser, the board member in charge of development, to Automotive News. While the cells would be uniform, they could be crafted into different modules to fit each specific model. VW currently buys cells from Panasonic and Samsung for various models, but under the new plan all of the automaker's brands would switch to a single one. "We have a clear understanding in the group of a common cell," Neusser said, according to Automotive News, without suggesting when a change might happen. VW also has a few months decide on a different future for its EVs. The automaker is reportedly considering whether to use sold-state lithium-ion batteries from a US-based supplier for upcoming models. The next-gen tech could potentially give a massive boost in range while also being fireproof.